


fifteen minutes of reality

by mesmin



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Actress!Clarke, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Celebrity AU, F/F, Gen, Musician!Lexa, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-29 19:32:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6390298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mesmin/pseuds/mesmin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They’ve had enough doses of fame: screaming (and totally dedicated) fans, a surprising number of fansites and blogs, papparazi, lack of privacy. But all they really need and want is a piece of reality. Even if it only lasts for fifteen minutes.</p><p>Or: Clarke and Lexa might be falling in love and the whole world is watching</p><p>Also featuring Band!bromance of Anya, Lexa, Lincoln, and Roan (AnLexRoColn?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. before it began

**Author's Note:**

> Because this needed to get out of my head. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Any works referenced in this fic (music, film, TV, movie, books, etc.) will be stated at the end. Any persons that is mentioned or appears does not reflect the actual individual.
> 
> Any mistakes are mine.

**Grounders: Inside the Biggest New Band of the Past Year**  
The most unlikely group of friends is a surprise success story.  
**By Anthony Thomas |** July 05

 

 **Grounders** ’ single “The Woods” is the infectious and highly unexpected summer anthem we can’t stop listening to and maybe it’s because it makes us feel so nostalgic – like it’s just us and our bestest friends in a beat up car and endless road ahead of us. And maybe that’s how it is for band members Anya Volkov (lead vocals/guitar), Lexa Woods (lead guitar/keyboard), Roan Kron (bass), and Lincoln Pine (drums) – otherwise known as Grounders – and we know there’s plenty more.

 

It may seem that Grounders magically appeared with their addictive new song this summer, but all four members have known each other “for too fucking long” according to 27-year-old Anya Volkov, the unapologetically outspoken singer. While she was a struggling 18-year-old trying to make it somehow in New York City she first meets 19-year-old Lincoln in a dirty subway station.

 

“I was busking,” Lincoln, 29, says with a shrug and sheepish smile, “It was just me and some tubs I found and really beat up sticks. She just came up next to me and started singing _Shorty get down, good Lord_ … and it fit and she forced me to buy her coffee afterwards and we got to talking.”

 

Roan, 30, the oldest member of the group laughs loudly. “I think I just turned 21 and I was playing with this group and next thing I know this blonde walks up to me and says – I swear I’m not lying – she walks up to me and says ‘The band sound like shit, you’ll sound better if you get rid of them and play with me’. That night, we just spent hours making beautiful music – Volk, Link, and me. And not in a dirty way!”

 

The trio spent the next three years playing in NYC bars mostly as a cover band. The bassist mentions how they struggled with writing their own material. “None of us could really write, lyrics or music. We didn’t even know what to call our group. Plus, we had issues with how exactly do we define ourselves? What is our sound?”

 

When the three couldn’t find answers in NYC, they packed what they had and travelled to Volkov’s home state of Massachusetts. They say they knew their band was finally complete when the band’s youngest member, Lexa Woods, joined.

 

“It was almost a spiritual journey for Anya,” Lincoln admitted, “She left Massachusetts to find something for herself. But it was only when she came back when everything suddenly came together.”

 

Lexa Woods, 24, nods in agreement. “I was 17, peacefully studying [at Harvard], and she returns with these two and asked if I can write music for her again.”

 

The Grounders vocalist doesn’t shy away from the history between her and Woods. “We grew up in the same foster home and we stuck together. Lex was only fourteen when I left, but we wrote all the time. I just remember her as this brilliant little kid, a fucking genius. I would hear a song, force her to listen to it, and play it on this broken-down piano we had so that I can sing along.”

 

Grounders stopped by iHeartRadio HQ in New York City recently, where we really got to know them in an exclusive interview. They talked to us about their music style, their new song, and what’s new for the band (Spoiler alert: Good news, there is more music on the way!).

 

**Here’s everything you need to know about Grounders in our exclusive interview:**

 

**1\. Their song, “The Woods”, came about when a band member disappeared.**

Woods was twenty at the time, Volkov recalls. “She went MIA for like two days, took Roan’s car and   went somewhere – to this day we have no idea where. Scared me out of my mind. Then, she comes back with a notebook full of words and just wrote a bunch of melodies and songs from there.”

 

**2\. Their name Grounders, while sounding so badass, has a pretty sappy origin.**

“It was a feeling. We just finished playing our first original song – we were in the garage – and I think we all felt grounded and real and connected. We ground each other; we’re each other’s grounders.”

“You’re such a sap, Pine.”

 

**3\. Their sound is very unique and some songs are so different from one another, with some great stories.**

It’s almost ironic how the band who didn’t know how to identify their sound decided to just go along with the flow; to be specific, Lexa’s flow. “It’s music that you can smile to, dance to, cry to – it’s about whatever it makes you feel or whatever it makes you think of,” states Kron.

“I may have the words and compose the music that best fits [them], but I have no control over how it effects others,” Woods says, “I have read studies on the effects music has on the mind, but [Roan interrupts with a coughed “nerd”] I wrote “The Woods” when I went for a drive and “Sweater Weather” [a song from the upcoming EP] came about when I wondered why people wore sweaters whilst at the beach.”

In short, Grounders prove they can do it all from a calming indie-esque tune to an up-beat, dance-y number.

 

**4\. Their rise to stardom had been unexpectedly quick and the newfound fame has been happily embraced by some, but not all.**

“I fucking love it,” says Volkov, “But what I love more is watching Lex squirm. You have no idea how many times we have to force her to tweet something or take a picture or do an interview. You can tell [she points at me], she doesn’t talk much.”

 

**5\. They have some exciting new things coming up for them.**

“We have an EP coming out next month and then our second-album next year and we have some things in the works, but I don’t think we can talk about it yet. We’ve talked about having a proper tour, but we’ll see.”

 

Our photographer captures what probably bests describe this group of individuals who are so different from each other, but collectively form Grounders, the newest and hottest name in music today.

 

[Pictured from left to right: Lincoln Pine (29) wearing a grey muscle shirt, worn-out Levi’s, and black Chucks. Anya Volkov (28) in a black Loveappella short sleeve wrap top jumpsuit and beige leather sandal Minkoffs. Lexa Woods (24) sporting a white V-neck and pinstriped vest combo, dark skinny jeans, and black Vans. Roan Kron (30) dons a fitted Vince suede jacket, black corduroy trousers, and black HUGO derby shoes.]

 

Don’t forget to follow the band’s shenanigans on Twitter and Instagram @WeAreGrounders.

* * *

 

 **From Party Girl to almost-College Grad**  
America’s Loveable Wild Child Talks about Growing Up  
Amanda Kerman | Los Angeles Times  
July 21

 

“I’ve never asked for this,” **Clarke Griffin** told me last Friday when we met up in the posh, blue-lit Living Room Bar of W Los Angeles. The 25-year-old, who has been acting since the age of nine, says she never thought of being an actress or being famous. “Really! I grew up playing with my mom’s med kit and performing surgeries on all of my stuffed animals. I feel like an asshole when I say ‘I fell into acting’ because I know there are so many out there whose biggest dream is to act professionally.”

 

There’s a story that always comes up when people talk about Clarke Griffin, one that reveals her ambivalence about the machinery of Hollywood.

Nearly five years ago, after she’d just starred in the surprise hits _5 Centimeters Per Second_ , _Carmilla_ , and in the first season of _Glee_ , she was asked to pose on the cover of Vanity Fair alongside two other beautiful and popular young actresses.

 

But when she arrived at the photo shoot, she learned that the other women had agreed to pose nude. She did not want to take off her clothes, so she passed up the opportunity.

 

“I just couldn’t and it wasn’t because I was just 20 at the time,” Griffin says now, reflecting on the decision. “It wasn’t something I could see myself doing even now. If I was doing it for a part and it makes sense, I have no issues with nudity if I believe it’s adding something to the story. But, I can’t do it. Not as myself on the cover of a magazine that’s supposedly doing a piece about Hollywood’s most powerful young women. I can do that with clothes on.”

 

Clarke Griffin doesn’t do nip slips or wear barely-there skirts for a panty shot as do other celebrities (we’re not going to name them, you know who they are) when the cameras are ogling them. And only rarely does Clarke, who first graced America’s screen when she was a wee nine-year-old, take her bare legs for a stroll.

 

“I don’t dress up for two simple reasons, my clothes will probably be covered in paint at some point, and between rushing to labs and the studio and completing papers, I barely have time to wash my hair, to be honest,” says the fortunately paint-free and clean-haired actress.

 

She has been in more than 15 movies and several TV shows since appearing as the adorable Liza for four seasons in the still-running daytime soap opera _Wings of Love_. After guest-starring in the teen drama _Degrassi_ for a season at the age of 15, Griffin spent the next five years juggling a busy film schedule and her own schooling. “It was really hard, I don’t actually remember doing anything but working. I had to stop my studies. I just took the GED when I turned 18.”

 

At 20 she was thrust into the spotlight when she received a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her work in _5 Centimeters Per Second_ with Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, and Gabourey Sidibe as her fellow nominees. Meanwhile, Griffin’s role as a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire in _Carmilla_ was met with praise from critics and audience alike. Then, she became a household name as part of _Glee’s_ main cast in season one until she had to part with the show due to a scheduling conflict with filming of _I Am Number Four_.

 

With success came all the unwanted attention of the media and the public eye. “I was actually really flattered when one of my friends called me and said I was being called ‘Party Girl Griffin’. I remember laughing about it,” she says, “Yeah. My mother yelled at me, but I won’t apologize for having fun and living my life.”

 

Soon after she made tabloid news after a photograph of her kissing another woman outside a club was posted online. It was treated by the media as the actions of a drunk, young twenty-something woman having fun, until Griffin cleared the air with a blunt tweet:

 

 

> **Not Clarke Griffin** @heygriffin | 14 Aug  
>  It wasn’t because I was drunk. It’s because I’m bi and she was hot.  
>  #getitright  
>  Reply     Retweet 238K     Like 28K     -More-

 

“I honestly didn’t think about coming out as bisexual. Not because I was afraid. I just didn’t think I had to. I knew years ago that I wasn’t straight, the people closest to me knew. I didn’t realize it was such a shock to so many. Then, it became a problem when it was all anyone could ask me.”

 

After taking a short break from Hollywood, the blonde is back to take over the big screens once more. But filming isn’t the only thing that’s been keeping her busy. Apart from being an award-winning star, the blonde beauty manages to cram scientific mumbo-jumbo in her brain and putting together an art portfolio at University of California, Los Angeles.

 

So, what’s new with Clarke?

 

The girl laughs freely. “You mean you didn’t check Google or the Twitterverse before coming in?” she questions playfully. “They seem to know what I do before I even know what I’m about to do myself. Does that make sense to you?”

 

“I’ve just been in a whirlwind lately. I took a little break [from filming] a couple years ago and decided to go to college. I manage to fit making movies between working on my Art and Bio degrees, it must all seem a bit crazy,” sighs the over-worked college student. “I like science, but I love art, all forms of it. It defines me, you know? Yes, I act. But, I also draw, paint, sculpt, can strum a guitar. I’m an artist.” She pauses and grins. “And now I sound pretentious.”

 

How does she manage to stay sane? Clarke admits to taking refuge in the works of Francisco Goya and Caspar David Friedrich and Thomas Cole – “I am in love with the Romantics” – and reading a good book while listening to fantastic music.

 

“Like everyone I can’t stop singing along to “Fancy” [by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX], but I’m also crazily into **Grounders** , like out-of-this-world in love with them. They’re hot and talented and just makes awesome music, what’s not to like.”

 

Reported to be flying to New York City soon, Clarke tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and flashes that contagious Griffin Grin. “Yes! I have to do some interviews, but I’m really looking forward to watching SNL live. I’m so excited.” When asked about the rumoured charitable event she is scheduled to attend, she responded with a secretive smile, “Event? What event?”

 

Talented, smart, _and_ a Good Samaritan? No wonder America has fallen in love and adores this party girl. To end this interview, our photographer casually roped Clarke into a conversion on idols and hotties of the moment. Blue eyes sparkling, the pretty lady murmurs something about **Lexa Woods** , Grounders’ lead guitarist. At that, she blushes and vehemently states she does not squeal.

 

And for the first time today, Clarke Griffin sounds like any twenty-something in America fangirling.

 

Don’t forget to check out Clarke Griffin in the movie _Go Ask Alice_ coming out later this year on November.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Volkov – Russian surname derived from the word volk (wolf)  
> Kron – Swedish surname element meaning ‘crown’
> 
> Grounders Music:  
> “The Woods” by Hollow Coves  
> “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood
> 
> 5 Centimeters Per Second: a 2007 Japanese animated feature film by Makoto Shinkai  
> Carmilla: a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu  
> I Am Number Four: a 2011 teen science fiction action thriller film  
> Go Ask Alice: a novel about the life of a troubled teenage girl


	2. first impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven schemes. Anya is a little shit. Lexa takes the first step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I stopped watching after 3x07 and 3x09 is not any better.

**CAUGHT IN THE ACT!  
** [Photo: Clarke Griffin in mid-laugh sitting next to unknown man]

 **Clarke Griffin Enjoying Lunch and a New Romance?  
** July 21   2:40 PM

Basking under the LA sun, _Clarke Griffin_ enjoys meal and company of mystery man at _280 Rodeo_. The actress was all smiles and laughter in the presence of this new beau, sources say.

* * *

 

She wakes up to the unfortunately familiar sound of her door forcefully smashing against the adjacent wall.

 

“Mierda! I knew I was amazing. But I truly surprised myself with this one.”

 

Clarke groans pitifully, burying herself under the blanket in a pathetic attempt to block her friend’s very much unwelcomed noise. She found it hard to sleep last night. Waking up in bouts due to wild thoughts rushing in her mind. She even tried to ‘Paint it out’ as her father once said, but all it gave her was a stiff back from sitting in front of a blank canvas for nearly three hours before her body finally succumbed to exhaustion.

 

She jerks in slight pain when a heavy weight and a sharp elbow collides somewhere between her fifth and sixth rib. She squirms, trying to throw off the weight but finds it too much of an effort and decides to lay still.

 

“By the way, just read Times. You sounded like such a hipster snob. But your thirst totally saved you at the end. Which brings me back to why I am in awe of my awesomeness.”

 

“Raven, what the hell?” she says, annoyed. Her ire loses its intended fierceness. Her voice still low and scratchy from sleep and the blanket dampens the fire in her tone. She throws off the blanket from her face to confront the only person who dares to interrupt her much beloved sleep.

 

“Princess, trust me. If you didn’t love me before, you’ll definitely want to buy me this Porsche I’ve had my eye on for a year now.”

 

Clarke huffs, knowing it would be a waste of time and energy to even try ignoring the exuberant Latina. She resigns herself to whatever _awesomeness_ it is that Raven has done. She shoves the woman away with a grunt and pulls her body up, resting against the headboard.

 

“So you know how you’re lusting after that guitarist?”

 

“Lexa Woods,” Clarke pauses and accepts the steaming caramel macchiato shoved at her face as a peace offering, “and that was taken out of context. We were just talking about the band.”

 

“Clarke, I know you think you’re all _smooth_ and whatever, but you totally have no chill when it comes to people you find attractive,” Raven quips haughtily, pointing at her with a scarred hand.

 

The blonde sips at her coffee, feeling the familiar jolt her heart makes when a taste of four espresso shots is introduced into her bloodstream. “Whatever. So what did you wake me up for?”

 

“I’ve got you a chance to meet your current Woman Crush On Days That End In -day,” Raven grins wildly when Clarke noticeably chokes on her drink. When she read Clarke’s piece from the LA Times earlier that morning, she realized the astounding opportunity that presented itself. So she seized it, after all she wouldn’t be where she is right now if she didn’t make something out of every miraculous moment that lands on her lap.

 

Raven pushes her phone at the actress’ face.

  

> **GROUNDERS** @WeAreGrounders | 5h  
>  Psst. RT  & Donate for a chance to hang w/ the band at a SuperSecretShow in LA _gb.ce/donate.sweeps..._ #PartyForGood  
>  Reply     Retweet 83k     Like 7k     -More-
> 
>  

A look of pure astonishment and childish amazement appears on the blonde’s unblemished face and Raven relishes in that wonder; she gives herself another mental pat on the back.

 

“What sorcery have you weaved, Raven Reyes?”

 

“Not gonna lie. It was hard and I definitely owe someone a shit ton of favors, but the six-degrees-of-separation thing is definitely real.”

 

And the universe is on my side today, Raven thinks still in shock with how her harebrained idea managed to get her the result she was hoping for.

 

“I knew a guy from my MIT days,” starts Raven when prompted to explain. “I remembered that Monty used to work as the tech guy at the bar where Grounders used to play back in Boston. Apparently, his best friend’s ex-girlfriend works with someone who goes way back with the band. So tell me, am I your favorite stylist or what?”

 

“You’re not my stylist,” Clarke replies automatically, her brain still trying to process the information. She ignores the expectant look Raven gives her. Probably waiting for a shower of praise and gratitude.

 

The actress feels the stirring of excitement in her chest brought on by the combination of caffeine, the chance of hearing her favorite band play live, and the possibility of something she can’t quite name concretely.

 

Her introduction to the band’s music was one of life’s most welcomed accidents. It happened a couple years ago, during one of those moments when everything is just _so_ frustrating and hard and confusing. She came from an emotionally draining shoot and tried to work on a piece for one of her art courses, but it felt incomplete and it looked so disjointed. When she all but destroyed the canvas from the unshakable itch of irritation, she got in her car in the middle of the night and just drove.

 

The song came on as she searched for a channel that played something that could reflect the unexplained emotions haunting her. She was immediately calmed by the steady beats of the drum, the low hypnotic bass, the light melody picked by guitar strings, and the melancholy expressed by a restrained voice.

 

_Punch drunk, bitten, and bleeding I became/Tame, feeble in the heroine one of us_

But it was the lyrics; the unfamiliar string of words that gave her feelings a tangible meaning. The words reassured her that she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

 

_Love, turn on the light/It’s so dark in there, inside her life/And I know, what it’s like/To feel loved and to not like yourself_

           

So when she returned to her apartment, she looks up the lyrics and discovered Grounders, which quickly led to Lexa Woods. She couldn’t explain her fascination with the one who weaved those words. Maybe it’s because in that moment, she recognized a kindred spirit. There was someone else who had felt that same utter inexplicable helplessness and mystifying frustration and managed to voice it out for her.

 

Clarke Griffin realizes she now has this chance to meet the person who intrigues her with their downright poetic and lyrical words.

 

“Alright then, when is this shindig?”

 

“Waiting on details from Monty. And who says ‘shindig’? We’re not in the sixties.”

***

Newspaper in hand, Anya unceremoniously bursts into Lexa’s endlessly candle-lit bedroom, the scent of rich, warm sandalwood and soft, sweet vanilla invades her senses and manages to soothe her brash nature.

 

She observes the other girl with amused brown eyes. Lexa is in the middle of her expansive bed wrapped in a fluffy white blanket, hunched over a laptop balanced on crossed legs. Her dark brows are furrowed tightly in confusion.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Lexa hums, opening her mouth and quickly closing it, trying to find the words to rightfully express her thoughts. “I just found the trailer for Go Ask Alice and I don’t quite know what I think about it yet.”

 

“Let me guess, you’ve just been watching it over and over again.”

 

Lexa looks up, exasperated at the older woman’s tone and the judgmental look that accompanies it. “The book is one of my favorites. Movie adaptation of novels hardly does the original work justice. I just,” she pauses, briefly biting her bottom lip, “It would be disappointing if the film’s writing turns out to be woefully subpar.”

 

Anya walks over and flops next to the younger woman, bumping a bare shoulder with her own. “So this obsession has nothing to do with a certain blonde actress that stars in it?” she asks teasingly, her voice heavy with implication. She’s pretty sure Lexa has the Glee Season One DVD set hidden under the bed.

 

At the unspoken question in those big and bright green eyes, Anya hands over today’s copy of LA Times, a finger hovering over a specific line. She lets out a scoff when her hand is brushed away and rolls her eyes as Lexa predictably takes the time to read the entire article and not just the line that Anya really wants to make a comment about.

 

The singer lays back on the large cloud Lexa calls a bed, arms behind her head. She waits patiently. The relative silence is sparingly interrupted by the sounds of Roan’s disgruntled shouts at whatever game he’s playing (and currently losing) and the promising sizzle of Lincoln’s cooking, if the hint of its smell is to be trusted. She takes a quick glance to see that Lexa’s intense, singular focus is still on the article.

 

Anya stares at the ceiling and fleetingly thinks it might be a little weird to people that the four of them live together like an over-glorified frat house. Their current home is far bigger than the small two-bedroom house they rented in South Side. Now, they have their own rooms that come with its own bathroom. They even have a balcony, a pool and a decent space in the basement where they can record and play when inspiration hits them.

 

And they have their own cars, which makes it somewhat of a hassle because someone is always blocked in, but it’s important. Because they’re _living_ in Los _fucking_ Angeles and not in Boston where they have to compete in every Battle of the Bands they find or try to land gigs to pay for rent.

 

An embarrassingly strangled noise catches her attention and she gleefully looks at the faint blush on faintly tan skin and the rapidly reddening tips of Lexa’s adorably small ears.

 

Anya takes a quick photo.

 

“Tell me, Lex. How does it feel to be a celebrity’s crush?”

 

“This is not– That is,” Lexa stammers, still staring at her own name, “It must have been taken out of context. The media has a reputation for twisting things to fit a narrative.”

 

Anya lets out a laugh, swiftly dodging the newspaper, and jumps out of the bed. “Right. Sure. Now, come on,” she says, closing Lexa’s laptop and pulling the girl to her feet, “It’s breakfast time and we have a meeting in two hours.”

 

“It’s three in the afternoon.”

 

“It’s the first meal of the day. It’s breakfast.”

 

It’s never a peaceful and quiet affair when four members of Grounders are together and in the presence of food. Roan’s fork always wanders to plates next to him and steals a bite, “Just a taste” he says each time. Anya loudly reads things about them online, constantly checks her Twitter and posts unflattering photos of everyone because, as she boasts, her “social media game is on point”. Lincoln, ever the peacemaker, tries to stop Anya and Roan from bickering, only pushing the two to continue. The drummer would helplessly look at Lexa, asking her to step in, but she just shrugs and tries to finish the portion left on her plate that Roan’s fork couldn’t quite reach.

 

It’s chaotic and loud and full of life.

 

Lexa likes it.

 

“Roan, did you see the Times this morning?” Anya asks, ignoring the piece of bacon thrown from across the table. Lincoln flinches at the hard stare Lexa is directing at the woman.

 

“Oh?” Roan’s interest is piqued, raising a brow and spearing a tater tot from Lexa’s plate, “Do tell?”

 

Anya jokingly clears her throat and pulling up the article on her phone. “This is pulled directly from Clarke Griffin’s interview and I quote ‘the pretty lady murmurs something about Lexa Woods, Grounders’ lead guitarist. At that, she blushes and vehemently states she does not squeal’ end quote.”

 

Expectedly, Roan’s deep laugh fills the room and even Lincoln couldn’t help but join in, throwing the embarrassed girl an apologetic look.

 

“I want to kick all of your bodies off the balcony,” Lexa darkly mutters, staring down each of her bandmates.

 

“By the way,” interrupts Lincoln, diverting the attention from the young woman, “Nyko called, asked if we could add two guests to the list.”

 

Anya and Roan ignore the drummer. Instead, they begin to argue about household chores and whose turn it is to wash the dishes and who is going to drive them to their meeting.

 

“As long as they donate money,” Lexa tells the drummer and receives a grateful smile in return.

 

Lincoln Pine is glad their newfound fame and (somewhat decent) fortune had not turned them into something different and unrecognizable. He hopes it never would. It was one of his worries when Grounders caught the attention of a major recording label and was swept into the glamour of Los Angeles.

 

It is comforting to know that their show on Saturday will mainly be for charity; it was Lexa’s only demand when the label told them they needed to have some type of concert to capitalize on their recent success.

 

Lincoln feels a buzz and takes a curious look. He frowns suspiciously at Anya before opening his Twitter and dreads at what he might receive.

  

> **Anya Volkov** @AnyaSings | Just now  
>  ATTN Ladies! **@itsLincoln** is a good cook, a rockstar, and he’s SINGLE!!  _pic.twitter.com/gcNf…_ #WingwomanFlying  
>  Reply     Retweet     Like     -More-

 

He stares at a picture of himself holding a pan and wearing his apron that boldly states: DRUMMERS BANG BETTER. Roan gave it to him for Christmas years ago. He groans and doesn’t dare to read the replies.

***

Raven lounges comfortably in the actress’ living room, watching as Clarke paces around and having a heated conversation with her mother on the phone. The stylist finds herself multitasking between listening in on a probably private conversation and checking her various social media sites. She opens up FaceBook, noticing that Monty replied back.

 

 

> **Raven Reyes**  10:02am  
>              Hey Monty. Just wondering if you still have connects w/ Grounders.  
>              I owe you big time if you can get me and a friend in to whatever  
>              event they just posted on their twitter.
> 
> **Monty Green** 10:58am  
>              You have no idea what I had to do. I had to beg Jasper to call up his ex  
>              Maya. She works with a guy who knows the drummer, I think.     
>    
> **Monty Green**                                                                                                     10:58am  
>              You definitely owe me a bottle of really expensive moonshine.  
>    
> **Monty Green**                                                                                                     10:58am  
>              Can moonshine even be expensive? And I’ll give you the deets in a bit.  
>              I think Jasper’s crying in his room.  
>    
> **Raven Reyes**                                                                                                     11:02am  
>             You the real MVP! HMU when you’re in LA. I’ll find that moonshine.  
>    
> **Monty Green**                                                                                                      4:07pm  
>             Saturday @ Polis. Vine St, Hollywood. Officially starts at 7p but you  
>             can go in early anytime after 12p because I’m amazing. Don’t forget  
>             to bring money for donation. It’s a charity event.

 

“No, mom! I am not dating Wells! What do you mean you saw a pic– It was lunch! You know, lunch? Something hungry people do around noon? Tod– No. It wasn’t even today. We had lunch like two days ago.”

 

The Latina rolls her eyes and sends Monty another thank you before switching over to her Twitter feed.

 

“My beha– _My_ behavior? Are you seriously telling me to watch how I act in public? I can’t even– I don’t even know how to– You’re my _mom_ , not my publicist or my agent!”

 

Raven’s eyes grow wide when she catches a Tweet. She lets out a booming laugh and gets quickly silenced by the sharp stare she receives. She can’t get rid of the wide grin on her face. Deciding for the blonde that her conversation will go nowhere, she snaps her fingers to get Clarke’s attention and signals her to hang up.

 

“Mom,” sighs the actress, “Let’s just talk later, okay? I have to go. Bye.”

 

“Griffin, you really should see this. This is the best day ever.”

 

“What?”

 

Wordlessly, she hands over her phone.

  

> **Anya Volkov** @AnyaSings | 3m  
>  **@heygriffin** you made her blush. PS **@LexaWoods** hopes you didn’t mess  
>  up Go Ask Alice, it’s one of her favorite books  
>  [Photo]  
>  Reply     Retweet 13k     Like 2k     -More-
> 
>  

Clarke stares at the image of Lexa Woods. It’s clearly taken without her permission and her attention is on the paper in her hands. Blue eyes trace over the strong profile; sharp angular jaw, lightly flushed cheekbone, an adorable ear.

 

“Oh my God.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Oh my God.”

 

“Totally the best day ever.”

***

The meeting is lasting much longer that the band anticipated.

 

It began with making sure things are ready for Saturday’s event. Next on the agenda was finalizing details needed to shoot for a music video; they still need to cast an actor. There were brief mentions of appearances; they’re scheduled to play in New York. Then, it was the issue of a tour the label is pressuring them to announce for next September, even though they haven’t finished recording their new album.

 

Unfortunately, most of the band has no interest in the logistics.

 

Roan is picking at his nails and rolls his chair side to side. Lincoln is nodding along to a beat in his head, quietly tapping rudiments on the conference table with his hands, his foot pedaling an imaginary bass drum. Anya has been avoiding her gaze since the ride to the label and has been glued to her phone.

 

Lexa sighs. Sometimes she wonders if she’s the most responsible member of the group. She turns her attention to Indra, Titus, and the newcomer, Luna Rivers from PR and Marketing; these are the people behind the band.

 

Indra Washington is a strong-willed woman with rich sepia skin and formidable dark eyes. She has been the band’s manager for the past four years and has an incessant drive and an unparalleled loyalty to each member of Grounders. Lexa admires the way Indra fights for them, making sure they are being treated well by the record company and are given their worth.

 

“No, I will not let you take that much money. We don’t need producers on this record. Grounders is obviously fine with Lexa on her own,” Indra tells Titus and Lexa nods in conformation.

 

He backs down without a fight. Titus Davis is the A&R executive who offered them the recording contract. Almost bald and sporting suits that dwarf his gaunt frame, Titus is full of anxiety and lukewarm protests, but he does his job and often goes beyond what his title calls for.

 

“Grounders has acquired this level of popularity sooner that we had anticipated,” Titus admits shakily, “Strike while the iron is hot, as they say, and we will capitalize on it. Luna, the floor is yours. Indra, a word.”

 

Titus waits for Indra, leading her out of the conference room.

 

Luna gives Lexa a friendly smile before pointedly clearing her throat, getting the attention of the other members. “The simplest way to put Grounders in the forefront is to whore you out,” she says sweetly. Roan and Anya perk up, both loving the spotlight and relish on attention. Lincoln shows mild interest at a marketing strategy; he has always dreamed of being on a talk show.

 

Lexa _really_ wants no part of it.

 

“What do people want? What sells?”

 

“Sex,” Roan smirks confidently, running a hand through his dark brown locks, strands falling on piercing blue eyes. Anya scoffs at the bassist’s show of his so-called _allure_.

 

“That may be true, but we don’t want to give instant gratification,” Luna returns, paying Roan’s snicker no attention, “We want to lure people in, make them keep coming back and wanting more. Our focus will be the consumers. Get people to fall in love with you. If they like you enough, it doesn’t matter what you’re selling. They’ll buy it.”

 

Anya asks, “So, what’s the plan?”

 

“You’re all very different and you each have your own unique selling point. We’ll use that. Right now, the name of the game is ‘divide and conquer’. You’re active in social media, but that’s not enough. The next few weeks will be busy. We’re talking talk shows, interviews, appearances, and whatever comes up.”

 

Lexa throws a harsh look at the other occupants. She does not like this plan.

 

“Lexa, dear, no need to pout,” chides Luna, “You must be doing something right if Clarke Griffin mentions you in an interview by name.”

 

Anya lets out a most infuriating cackle, which Roan accompanies with his unrestrained guffaw. Lexa couldn’t even count on Lincoln to hold in his good-natured chuckling.

 

Lexa folds her hands on the table, clenching her jaw.

 

She hates them all.

***

That night, in the privacy of her bedroom and the candles’ soft glow as her only witness, Lexa searches for the article on her phone, hiding under a blanket as if it added a layer of safety. She reads again about Clarke Griffin’s love for art and the peace she finds in Romanticism.

 

Lexa had voiced her displeasure when she found Anya’s post and the picture attached. Furthermore, the musician was completely mortified that the actress may have seen it.

 

She opens up Twitter and easily finds Clarke Griffin’s profile. One of the most recent posts contains a picture of the blonde. Bright blue eyes that catch the sun’s light, flaxen hair caught in a loose bun, a relaxed smile.

***

At the end of the day, Clarke Griffin lays on her bed exhausted despite not stepping a foot out of her apartment. Most of her day was spent enduring Raven’s persistent teasing and handling her mother’s gratingly overbearing nature. She took calls from her agent and returned missed calls, answered and sent emails, and hung up on a telemarketer.

 

She sighs morosely when her phone chimes on the bedside table. With maximum effort, she turns over and reaches out, blinking owlishly at the screen:

 

> **Twitter** Just now  
>  **Lexa Woods** (@LexaWoods) is now following you

Oh.

***

The sudden blue glow of the screen takes her away from her thoughtless wandering. She peeks at the notification, corner of her mouth quirks quickly in satisfaction.

  

> **Twitter** Just now  
>  **Not Clarke Griffin** (@heygriffin) is now following you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grounders Music:  
> Turn On The Light by Jamie T

**Author's Note:**

> 'Kudos' if ya liked.  
> 'Comments' to let me know your thoughts
> 
> Tumblr: mesmin.tumblr.com  
> Drop any ideas, suggestions, concerns if you want, or just come say hi.
> 
> Twitter: RamblingWild
> 
> Thank you for reading


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